Megan Bastick has worked for the last fifteen years with DCAF, the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, an intergovernmental foundation mandated to support good governance and reform of the security sector. Megan’s work focuses on the integration of gender perspectives in the security sector, in particular in armed forces. She has written or edited a range of publications for security practitioners and policymakers, and has trained and worked with the UN, OSCE, NATO and government officials, armed forces and local women's organisations in a range of countries and contexts. Over 2017-2019, she co-directed a NATO SPS project with the Ministry of Defence of Georgia to design and implement gender-responsive climate assessment.
Megan's PhD thesis, completed at the University of Edinburgh, examined how international law concerning protection of civilians in armed conflict is implemented in NATO and the British Armed Forces. Megan completed her Masters degree at the University of Cambridge. Supervisors: Dr Claire Duncanson and Professor Christine Bell
This guide aims to collate and share knowledge and experience from NATO, NATO Partners, and other... more This guide aims to collate and share knowledge and experience from NATO, NATO Partners, and other armed forces regarding good practice when developing, implementing, and evaluating a gender-responsive organizational climate assessment. The guide is structured in five parts to describe the why and how of undertaking an organizational climate assessment in armed forces. It provides step-by-step advice, along with case study examples, for progressing your climate assessment from thought to action. It also gives guidance to ensure that your climate assessment integrates a gender perspective or mainstreams gender – that is, the assessment is gender responsive.
This Policy Brief explains how applying the principles of good security sector governance and eng... more This Policy Brief explains how applying the principles of good security sector governance and engaging with security sector reform (SSR) can help to achieve the goals of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. Over the last decade the UN system and many states and international actors have recognized that SSR should be gender responsive, identifying and addressing the different security and justice needs of women and men, girls and boys, across different parts of the community. In some SSR programmes, priorities have been set to promote the participation of women in the security sector. At the same time there is a need to step up the engagement of the WPS community with issues of security sector governance. This Policy Brief argues that applying a security sector governance lens to WPS helps to reveal the key barriers to and drivers of change. This Policy Brief: Ê explains the principles of good security sector governance Ê examines how security sector governance and SSR are addressed in the WPS Agenda Ê outlines how a security sector governance approach can catalyse the transformative and sustained change needed to realize the WPS Agenda. What is good security sector governance? The term "security sector governance" describes the formal and informal influences of all the structures, institutions and actors involved in provision, management and oversight of security and justice, at both national and local levels. Governance may be good or bad in quality. Good security sector governance is attained when the following principles of good governance apply to a state's security and justice sector. 1 Ê Accountability: There are clear expectations for provision of security. Independent authorities oversee whether these expectations are met, and impose sanctions if they are not. The security and justice sector is held accountable for meeting the diverse needs of all parts of the population. Ê Transparency: Information is freely available and accessible to those who will be affected by decisions and their implementation. Ê Rule of law: All persons and institutions, including the state, are subject to laws that are known publicly, enforced impartially and consistent with international and national human rights norms and standards. Rule of law requires equality in access to justice for all: women, men, boys, girls and people of different gender identities.
This Policy Brief is part of the DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and UN Women Gender and Security Toolkit, which... more This Policy Brief is part of the DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and UN Women Gender and Security Toolkit, which draws together key lessons of the past decade in promoting gender equality and integrating a gender perspective in security and justice. This Policy Brief focuses on a global policy initiative relevant across the security and justice sector-the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Agenda 2030 recognizes that "sustainable development cannot be realized without peace and security; and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development". * This Policy Brief: Ê explains how Agenda 2030 recognizes good governance of the security and justice sector as key to sustainable development Ê explores how Agenda 2030 positions the achievement of gender equality as critical for the attainment of all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions Ê illustrates the concrete linkages between working towards SDG 16 and SDG 5 on gender equality, and provides links to detailed information and guidance across the Gender and Security Toolkit Ê highlights how gender-responsive data collection by the security and justice sector can support work on Agenda 2030. This Policy Brief is aimed at policy-makers, national ministries and security and justice institutions interested in involving the security and justice sector in realizing the goals of Agenda 2030. While this Brief focuses on the normative framework of Agenda 2030, the associated Tools to which it refers give detailed guidance on how to make the changes necessary to achieve the Agenda's aims.
Women, Peace and Transforming Security: Visions of the Future of Women, Peace and Security for NATO, 2020
O n 8 th June 2020, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg launched "NATO 2030": a vision for NA... more O n 8 th June 2020, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg launched "NATO 2030": a vision for NATO's strategic orientation over the next decade. It was a powerfully presented analysis of the challenges facing NATO Allies and proposed major changes in how NATO understands itself. Three themes stand out. First, that NATO is not only a military but a political alliance. Secretary General Stolten-berg suggests NATO members should use NATO more politically. Issues such as climate change, regulation of cyberspace, new technologies-all issues that affect Allies' security should be brought to NATO's table. Second, that NATO should take a more global approach, looking beyond the North Atlantic context. The rise of China, specifically, is framed as a significant challenge for NATO, demanding closer collaboration with partners in Asia and the Pacific. Third, that NATO is not only an alliance for collective security but a mechanism to compete in a more competitive world. This frames economic and technological competition as aspects of NATO's understanding of security. Where is the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in NATO 2030? The importance of women's full and equal participation is strongly communicated in the promotional video, which shows women in uniform, female decision-makers, even feminist darling Jacinda Ardern. But, in the substance of NATO's new strategic direction, the WPS agenda is difficult to find. There is no reference made to it and, more importantly , key values of the WPS agenda are missing. NATO declares human rights as one of its common values, but human rights are not yet mentioned in NATO 2030. Where we might hope for a vision of global peace, we are given a vision of NATO Allies and Partners being winners in a now global competition to be the strongest and the richest. NATO's most recent WPS Policy is built upon three principles: integration, inclusive-ness and integrity. These can provide a set of approaches to develop NATO 2030 in a manner more conducive to achieving the commitments of the WPS agenda, and to peace, stability, and NATO's democratic legitimacy. Integration In NATO's WPS policy, "integration" means integrating gender perspectives in everything that NATO does. NATO has made a lot of progress in gender mainstreaming, including the development of Gender Advisers, gender training, and institutional and operational structures. Many people in and around NATO have worked with skill, commitment and selflessness to achieve these things, and their successes should
Many of the barriers to effective security sector governance also apply to the implementation of ... more Many of the barriers to effective security sector governance also apply to the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. In its new National Action Plan, Germany should draw from its approach to security sector reform and strengthen institutional oversight, commit to long-term funding, and put the goals of the WPS agenda at the centre of diplomatic dialogue. Over the last fifteen years, as the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda has grown in visibility and scope, much work has been done to explain why this agenda is important for supporting security sector reform (SSR). In fact, some of the first groundbreaking discussions on the connections between gender and SSR were held in 2008 at the Freie Universität Berlin. Five of the ten UN Security Council resolutions on WPS explicitly refer to SSR. But less attention has been given to how centring good security sector governance can help achieve the goals of the WPS agenda. I argue here that applying a security sector governance lens to WPS helps to reveal the key barriers to and drivers of change.
This guidance note on Integrating Gender into Oversight of the Security Sector by Ombuds Institut... more This guidance note on Integrating Gender into Oversight of the Security Sector by Ombuds Institutions & National Human Rights Institutions, developed by DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and the OSCE Gender Section, is a practical resource for ombuds institutions and NHRIs, and those who support them. It can help an ombuds institution or NHRI engage more effectively with police, militaries and other security sector institutions to monitor and reinforce how the human rights of men and women working there are upheld. It can strengthen oversight of how well police and others meet the needs of communities
This guidance note on Integrating a Gender Perspective into Internal Oversight within Armed Force... more This guidance note on Integrating a Gender Perspective into Internal Oversight within Armed Forces, developed by DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and the OSCE Gender Section, is a practical resource for militaries, and for those who manage and support them. It can help an armed forces move beyond a policy commitment to integrate gender ̶ by designating responsibilities, by monitoring how gender issues are addressed in human resource management and in operations, and by strengthening responses to misconduct.
This guidance note on Integrating Gender into Internal Police Oversight, developed by DCAF, OSCE/... more This guidance note on Integrating Gender into Internal Police Oversight, developed by DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and the OSCE Gender Section, is a practical resource for police services, and those who manage and support them. It can help a police service move beyond a policy commitment to integrate gender ̶ by designating responsibilities for gender, by monitoring how gender issues are addressed in human resource management and in police operations, and by strengthening prevention and respond to sexual harassment and discrimination.
Around the world, armed forces are recognizing the important contribution that women make within ... more Around the world, armed forces are recognizing the important contribution that women make within their ranks, and the fact that increasing the representation of female personnel is fundamental to future capability and operational effectiveness. In tackling barriers to women’s full participation in armed forces, a key priority is to prevent gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse – to ensure that all personnel, men and women, serve in an environment that is healthy, safe and respectful, and upholds their human rights. Effective and trusted complaints mechanisms are a crucial component of such an environment.
This handbook brings together knowledge and experience as regards prevention of misconduct, and handling and monitoring of complaints within armed forces, with particular regard to gender. It is a resource for armed forces, ministries of defence, ombuds institutions and others that manage and oversee armed forces in: - establishing a safe and non-discriminatory environment for men and women in the armed forces; - dealing with instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces; and - monitoring and overseeing the handling of instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces.
Small Arms Survey 2014: Women and Guns, Jun 16, 2014
In April 2013, women’s organizations were among those celebrating the adoption of the Arms Trade ... more In April 2013, women’s organizations were among those celebrating the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by the UN General Assembly. The ATT has been hailed as a victory for women; it will require states parties to take into account the risk of small arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence, such as domestic and sexual violence, before authorizing their transfer abroad. Indeed, 2012–13 saw international policy concerning women, peace, and security and small arms finally converge. This owes much to the work of women and women’s organizations, in collaboration with the broader civil society arms control movement.
This guide aims to collate and share knowledge and experience from NATO, NATO Partners, and other... more This guide aims to collate and share knowledge and experience from NATO, NATO Partners, and other armed forces regarding good practice when developing, implementing, and evaluating a gender-responsive organizational climate assessment. The guide is structured in five parts to describe the why and how of undertaking an organizational climate assessment in armed forces. It provides step-by-step advice, along with case study examples, for progressing your climate assessment from thought to action. It also gives guidance to ensure that your climate assessment integrates a gender perspective or mainstreams gender – that is, the assessment is gender responsive.
This Policy Brief explains how applying the principles of good security sector governance and eng... more This Policy Brief explains how applying the principles of good security sector governance and engaging with security sector reform (SSR) can help to achieve the goals of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. Over the last decade the UN system and many states and international actors have recognized that SSR should be gender responsive, identifying and addressing the different security and justice needs of women and men, girls and boys, across different parts of the community. In some SSR programmes, priorities have been set to promote the participation of women in the security sector. At the same time there is a need to step up the engagement of the WPS community with issues of security sector governance. This Policy Brief argues that applying a security sector governance lens to WPS helps to reveal the key barriers to and drivers of change. This Policy Brief: Ê explains the principles of good security sector governance Ê examines how security sector governance and SSR are addressed in the WPS Agenda Ê outlines how a security sector governance approach can catalyse the transformative and sustained change needed to realize the WPS Agenda. What is good security sector governance? The term "security sector governance" describes the formal and informal influences of all the structures, institutions and actors involved in provision, management and oversight of security and justice, at both national and local levels. Governance may be good or bad in quality. Good security sector governance is attained when the following principles of good governance apply to a state's security and justice sector. 1 Ê Accountability: There are clear expectations for provision of security. Independent authorities oversee whether these expectations are met, and impose sanctions if they are not. The security and justice sector is held accountable for meeting the diverse needs of all parts of the population. Ê Transparency: Information is freely available and accessible to those who will be affected by decisions and their implementation. Ê Rule of law: All persons and institutions, including the state, are subject to laws that are known publicly, enforced impartially and consistent with international and national human rights norms and standards. Rule of law requires equality in access to justice for all: women, men, boys, girls and people of different gender identities.
This Policy Brief is part of the DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and UN Women Gender and Security Toolkit, which... more This Policy Brief is part of the DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and UN Women Gender and Security Toolkit, which draws together key lessons of the past decade in promoting gender equality and integrating a gender perspective in security and justice. This Policy Brief focuses on a global policy initiative relevant across the security and justice sector-the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Agenda 2030 recognizes that "sustainable development cannot be realized without peace and security; and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development". * This Policy Brief: Ê explains how Agenda 2030 recognizes good governance of the security and justice sector as key to sustainable development Ê explores how Agenda 2030 positions the achievement of gender equality as critical for the attainment of all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions Ê illustrates the concrete linkages between working towards SDG 16 and SDG 5 on gender equality, and provides links to detailed information and guidance across the Gender and Security Toolkit Ê highlights how gender-responsive data collection by the security and justice sector can support work on Agenda 2030. This Policy Brief is aimed at policy-makers, national ministries and security and justice institutions interested in involving the security and justice sector in realizing the goals of Agenda 2030. While this Brief focuses on the normative framework of Agenda 2030, the associated Tools to which it refers give detailed guidance on how to make the changes necessary to achieve the Agenda's aims.
Women, Peace and Transforming Security: Visions of the Future of Women, Peace and Security for NATO, 2020
O n 8 th June 2020, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg launched "NATO 2030": a vision for NA... more O n 8 th June 2020, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg launched "NATO 2030": a vision for NATO's strategic orientation over the next decade. It was a powerfully presented analysis of the challenges facing NATO Allies and proposed major changes in how NATO understands itself. Three themes stand out. First, that NATO is not only a military but a political alliance. Secretary General Stolten-berg suggests NATO members should use NATO more politically. Issues such as climate change, regulation of cyberspace, new technologies-all issues that affect Allies' security should be brought to NATO's table. Second, that NATO should take a more global approach, looking beyond the North Atlantic context. The rise of China, specifically, is framed as a significant challenge for NATO, demanding closer collaboration with partners in Asia and the Pacific. Third, that NATO is not only an alliance for collective security but a mechanism to compete in a more competitive world. This frames economic and technological competition as aspects of NATO's understanding of security. Where is the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in NATO 2030? The importance of women's full and equal participation is strongly communicated in the promotional video, which shows women in uniform, female decision-makers, even feminist darling Jacinda Ardern. But, in the substance of NATO's new strategic direction, the WPS agenda is difficult to find. There is no reference made to it and, more importantly , key values of the WPS agenda are missing. NATO declares human rights as one of its common values, but human rights are not yet mentioned in NATO 2030. Where we might hope for a vision of global peace, we are given a vision of NATO Allies and Partners being winners in a now global competition to be the strongest and the richest. NATO's most recent WPS Policy is built upon three principles: integration, inclusive-ness and integrity. These can provide a set of approaches to develop NATO 2030 in a manner more conducive to achieving the commitments of the WPS agenda, and to peace, stability, and NATO's democratic legitimacy. Integration In NATO's WPS policy, "integration" means integrating gender perspectives in everything that NATO does. NATO has made a lot of progress in gender mainstreaming, including the development of Gender Advisers, gender training, and institutional and operational structures. Many people in and around NATO have worked with skill, commitment and selflessness to achieve these things, and their successes should
Many of the barriers to effective security sector governance also apply to the implementation of ... more Many of the barriers to effective security sector governance also apply to the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. In its new National Action Plan, Germany should draw from its approach to security sector reform and strengthen institutional oversight, commit to long-term funding, and put the goals of the WPS agenda at the centre of diplomatic dialogue. Over the last fifteen years, as the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda has grown in visibility and scope, much work has been done to explain why this agenda is important for supporting security sector reform (SSR). In fact, some of the first groundbreaking discussions on the connections between gender and SSR were held in 2008 at the Freie Universität Berlin. Five of the ten UN Security Council resolutions on WPS explicitly refer to SSR. But less attention has been given to how centring good security sector governance can help achieve the goals of the WPS agenda. I argue here that applying a security sector governance lens to WPS helps to reveal the key barriers to and drivers of change.
This guidance note on Integrating Gender into Oversight of the Security Sector by Ombuds Institut... more This guidance note on Integrating Gender into Oversight of the Security Sector by Ombuds Institutions & National Human Rights Institutions, developed by DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and the OSCE Gender Section, is a practical resource for ombuds institutions and NHRIs, and those who support them. It can help an ombuds institution or NHRI engage more effectively with police, militaries and other security sector institutions to monitor and reinforce how the human rights of men and women working there are upheld. It can strengthen oversight of how well police and others meet the needs of communities
This guidance note on Integrating a Gender Perspective into Internal Oversight within Armed Force... more This guidance note on Integrating a Gender Perspective into Internal Oversight within Armed Forces, developed by DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and the OSCE Gender Section, is a practical resource for militaries, and for those who manage and support them. It can help an armed forces move beyond a policy commitment to integrate gender ̶ by designating responsibilities, by monitoring how gender issues are addressed in human resource management and in operations, and by strengthening responses to misconduct.
This guidance note on Integrating Gender into Internal Police Oversight, developed by DCAF, OSCE/... more This guidance note on Integrating Gender into Internal Police Oversight, developed by DCAF, OSCE/ODIHR and the OSCE Gender Section, is a practical resource for police services, and those who manage and support them. It can help a police service move beyond a policy commitment to integrate gender ̶ by designating responsibilities for gender, by monitoring how gender issues are addressed in human resource management and in police operations, and by strengthening prevention and respond to sexual harassment and discrimination.
Around the world, armed forces are recognizing the important contribution that women make within ... more Around the world, armed forces are recognizing the important contribution that women make within their ranks, and the fact that increasing the representation of female personnel is fundamental to future capability and operational effectiveness. In tackling barriers to women’s full participation in armed forces, a key priority is to prevent gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse – to ensure that all personnel, men and women, serve in an environment that is healthy, safe and respectful, and upholds their human rights. Effective and trusted complaints mechanisms are a crucial component of such an environment.
This handbook brings together knowledge and experience as regards prevention of misconduct, and handling and monitoring of complaints within armed forces, with particular regard to gender. It is a resource for armed forces, ministries of defence, ombuds institutions and others that manage and oversee armed forces in: - establishing a safe and non-discriminatory environment for men and women in the armed forces; - dealing with instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces; and - monitoring and overseeing the handling of instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces.
Small Arms Survey 2014: Women and Guns, Jun 16, 2014
In April 2013, women’s organizations were among those celebrating the adoption of the Arms Trade ... more In April 2013, women’s organizations were among those celebrating the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by the UN General Assembly. The ATT has been hailed as a victory for women; it will require states parties to take into account the risk of small arms being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence, such as domestic and sexual violence, before authorizing their transfer abroad. Indeed, 2012–13 saw international policy concerning women, peace, and security and small arms finally converge. This owes much to the work of women and women’s organizations, in collaboration with the broader civil society arms control movement.
This paper reflects upon how militaries are engaging with the gender dimensions of security secto... more This paper reflects upon how militaries are engaging with the gender dimensions of security sector reform, focusing upon efforts to recruit women into the Afghan national forces, and to support gender mainstreaming in military and police training and education. It highlights the limited conceptual frameworks employed by ISAF in engaging with gender, and their challenges in negotiating tensions between the gendered aspects of their policy framework and the local culture. This speaks both to the shortcomings of nascent efforts by militaries to develop gender capabilities, and to broader debates regarding reconciling externally driven gender equality objectives and local ownership of security sector reform.
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Papers by Megan Bastick
The guide is structured in five parts to describe the why and how of undertaking an organizational climate assessment in armed forces. It provides step-by-step advice, along with case study examples, for progressing your climate assessment from thought to action. It also gives guidance to ensure that your climate assessment integrates a gender perspective or mainstreams gender – that is, the assessment is gender responsive.
This handbook brings together knowledge and experience as regards prevention of misconduct, and handling and monitoring of complaints within armed forces, with particular regard to gender. It is a resource for armed forces, ministries of defence, ombuds institutions and others that manage and oversee armed forces in:
- establishing a safe and non-discriminatory environment for men and women in the armed forces;
- dealing with instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces; and
- monitoring and overseeing the handling of instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces.
Teaching Documents by Megan Bastick
The guide is structured in five parts to describe the why and how of undertaking an organizational climate assessment in armed forces. It provides step-by-step advice, along with case study examples, for progressing your climate assessment from thought to action. It also gives guidance to ensure that your climate assessment integrates a gender perspective or mainstreams gender – that is, the assessment is gender responsive.
This handbook brings together knowledge and experience as regards prevention of misconduct, and handling and monitoring of complaints within armed forces, with particular regard to gender. It is a resource for armed forces, ministries of defence, ombuds institutions and others that manage and oversee armed forces in:
- establishing a safe and non-discriminatory environment for men and women in the armed forces;
- dealing with instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces; and
- monitoring and overseeing the handling of instances and complaints of gender-related discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse in the armed forces.